Area Under Velocity-Time Graphs (OCR GCSE Physics A (Gateway Science Suite)): Revision Notes
📚 Revision Notes
5.6.12 Area Under Velocity-Time Graphs
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The area under the line on a velocity-time graph is equal to the displacement of the object.
Figure 1:
Area of rectangle:
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Area of a triangle:
- Base = 10 m
- Height = 18−10 = 8m So, the area of the triangle=
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Total area:
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If the shape of the graph can be broken into simple geometric shapes, the total area under the line can be calculated by adding the areas of those shapes.
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Key Points
- The area under a speed-time graph is the distance. Speed cannot be negative, and neither can the distance. This is because speed and distance are scalars.
- The area under a velocity-time graph is the displacement. Velocity can be negative if an object is moving backwards. The displacement can also be negative. An area beneath the x-axis has a negative value. An area above the x-axis has a positive value. Be careful when calculating the total displacement, when summing the displacements remember to include the + and − signs of the displacements.